PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s apex committee on Monday ordered a decisive and coordinated push against terrorism, meeting for the first time since emergency and governor’s rule were imposed in the province.
The session, held at the Governor’s House in Peshawar, was chaired by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in attendance. Senior civil and military officials, along with members of the newly formed 11-member advisory council, also took part.
The meeting opened with tributes to security personnel and civilians who have laid down their lives to keep peace in the province. Participants then reviewed the overall security situation and discussed the measures needed to wipe out militancy and secure lasting calm.
The committee directed every relevant department to take firm, decisive and coordinated steps against terrorist networks. It decided to upgrade the police and the Counter-Terrorism Department with modern equipment, better logistics and additional manpower, calling them the frontline force against militancy.
Intelligence-based operations will continue across the province, the forum said, adding that every available resource would be used to restore law and order.
Addressing the session, Governor Kundi said eliminating terrorism was the province’s top priority. “There are many other issues, but our first priority is to eliminate terrorism. We can sacrifice development, but we cannot compromise on security,” he said, stressing result-oriented steps over cosmetic gestures.
Interior Minister Naqvi noted that for the first time in two years, the federal and provincial governments were on the same page on counterterrorism.
The committee also resolved to address long-standing public concerns in militancy-hit and underdeveloped districts, promising attention to education, health and living standards.
The meeting came a day after President Asif Ali Zardari approved emergency and governor’s rule in KP under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, sidelining the PTI-led provincial government. The provincial assembly has not been dissolved, and opposition parties have vowed to challenge the move in the courts and parliament.
